text:
News Directory World News Headlines
This article is about the United Kingdom's navy. For other uses, see Royal Navy (disambiguation) and Senior Service (disambiguation).
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against the Kingdom of France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is known as the Senior Service.
From the middle decades of the 17th century, and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century, it was the world's most powerful navy until the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing the British Empire as the unmatched world power during the 19th and first part of the 20th centuries. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, to refer to it as "the Royal Navy" without qualification.
Following World War I, the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size,[7] although at the onset of World War II it was still the world's largest. During the Cold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines and mostly active in the GIUK gap. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, its focus has returned to expeditionary operations around the world and it remains one of the world's foremost blue-water navies.[8][9][10] However, 21st-century reductions in naval spending have led to a personnel shortage and a reduction in the number of warships.[11][12]
The Royal Navy maintains a fleet of technologically sophisticated ships, submarines, and aircraft, including two aircraft carriers, two amphibious transport docks, four ballistic missile submarines (which maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent), seven nuclear fleet submarines, six guided missile destroyers, 13 frigates, 13 mine-countermeasure vessels and 26 patrol vessels. As of January 2021, there are 79 operational commissioned ships (including submarines as well as one historic ship, HMS Victory) in the Royal Navy, plus 13 ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA); there are also five Merchant Navy ships available to the RFA under a private finance initiative. The RFA replenishes Royal Navy warships at sea, and augments the Royal Navy's amphibious warfare capabilities through its three Bay-class landing ship vessels. It also works as a force multiplier for the Royal Navy, often doing patrols that frigates used to do. The total displacement of the Royal Navy is approximately 445,200 tonnes (821,200 tonnes including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary).
The Royal Navy is part of Her Majesty's Naval Service, which also includes the Royal Marines. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord who is an admiral and member of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom. The Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The Royal Navy operates from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships and submarines are based: Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, the last being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe, as well as two naval air stations, RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose where maritime aircraft are based.
As the seaborne branch of HM Armed Forces, the RN has various roles. As it stands today, the RN has stated its 6 major roles as detailed below in umbrella terms.[13]
The Royal Navy was formally founded in 1546 by Henry VIII[14] though the Kingdom of England and its predecessor states had possessed less organised naval forces for centuries prior to this.[15]
During much of the medieval period, fleets or "king's ships" were often established or gathered for specific campaigns or actions, and these would disperse afterwards. These were generally merchant ships enlisted into service. Unlike some European states, England did not maintain a small permanent core of warships in peacetime. England's naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilization of fleets when war broke out was slow.[16] In the 11th century, Aethelred II had an especially large fleet built by a national levy.[17] During the period of Danish rule in the 11th century, the authorities maintained a standing fleet by taxation, and this continued for a time under Edward the Confessor, who frequently commanded fleets in person.[18] After the Norman Conquest, English naval power waned and England suffered naval raids from the Vikings.[19] In 1069, this allowed for the invasion and ravaging of England by Jarl Osborn (brother of King Svein Estridsson) and his sons.[20]
The lack of an organised navy came to a head during the Baron's Revolt, in which Prince Louis of France invaded England in support of northern barons. With King John unable to organise a navy, this meant the French landed at Sandwich unopposed in April 1216. John's flight to Winchester and his death later that year left the Earl of Pembroke as regent, and he was able to marshal ships to fight the French in the Battle of Sandwich in 1217- one of the first major English battles at sea.[21] The outbreak of the Hundred Years War emphasised the need for an English fleet. French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed the French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340.[22] England's naval forces could not prevent frequent raids on the south-coast ports by the French and their allies. Such raids halted only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V.[23] A Scottish fleet existed by the reign of William the Lion.[24] In the early 13th century there was a resurgence of Viking naval power in the region. The Vikings clashed with Scotland over control of the isles[25] though Alexander III was ultimately successful in asserting Scottish control.[26] The Scottish fleet was of particular import in repulsing English forces in the early 14th century.[27]
A standing "Navy Royal",[14] with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII.[28] Under Elizabeth I England became involved in a war with Spain, which saw privately owned vessels combining with the Queen's ships in highly profitable raids against Spanish commerce and colonies.[29] The Royal Navy was then used in 1588 to repulse the Spanish Armada. In 1603, the Union of the Crowns created a personal union between England and Scotland. While the two remained distinct sovereign states for a further century, the two navies increasingly fought as a single force. During the early 17th century, England's relative naval power deteriorated until Charles I undertook a major programme of shipbuilding. His methods of financing the fleet however contributed to the outbreak of the English Civil War, and the abolition of the monarchy.[30]
The Commonwealth of England replaced many names and symbols in the new commonwealth navy, associated with royalty and the high church, and expanded it to become the most powerful in the world.[31][32] The fleet was quickly tested in the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654) and the Anglo-Spanish War (1654-1660), which saw the conquest of Jamaica and successful attacks on Spanish treasure fleets. The 1660 Restoration saw Charles II rename the Royal Navy again, and started use of the prefix HMS. The navy however remained a national institution and not a possession of the crown as it had been before.[33] Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, England joined the War of the Grand Alliance which marked the end of France's brief pre-eminence at sea and the beginning of an enduring British supremacy.[34]
In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the Act of Union, which had the effect of merging the Scottish navy into the Royal Navy. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Royal Navy was the largest maritime force in the world,[35] maintaining superiority in financing, tactics, training, organisation, social cohesion, hygiene, logistical support and warship design.[36] The peace settlement following the War of the Spanish Succession (1702–1714) granted Britain Gibraltar and Menorca, providing the Navy with Mediterranean bases. A new French attempt to invade Britain was thwarted by the defeat of their escort fleet in the extraordinary Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, fought in dangerous conditions.[37] In 1762 the resumption of hostilities with Spain led to the British capture of Manila and of Havana, along with a Spanish fleet sheltering there.[38] British naval supremacy could however be challenged still in this period by coalitions of other nations, as seen in the American War of Independence. Rebel colonists were supported by France, Spain and the Netherlands against Britain. In the Battle of the Chesapeake, the British fleet failed to lift the French blockade, resulting in Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown.[39] The French Revolutionary Wars (1793–1801) and Napoleonic Wars (1803–1814 & 1815) saw the Royal Navy reach a peak of efficiency, dominating the navies of all Britain's adversaries, which spent most of the war blockaded in port. Under Admiral Nelson, the navy defeated the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar (1805).[40]
Between 1815 and 1914, the Navy saw little serious action, owing to the absence of any opponent strong enough to challenge its dominance. During this period, naval warfare underwent a comprehensive transformation, brought about by steam propulsion, metal ship construction, and explosive munitions. Despite having to completely replace its war fleet, the Navy managed to maintain its overwhelming advantage over all potential rivals. Due to British leadership in the Industrial Revolution, the country enjoyed unparalleled shipbuilding capacity and financial resources, which ensured that no rival could take advantage of these revolutionary changes to negate the British advantage in ship numbers.[41] In 1889, Parliament passed the Naval Defence Act, which formally adopted the 'two-power standard', which stipulated that the Royal Navy should maintain a number of battleships at least equal to the combined strength of the next two largest navies.[42] The end of the 19th century saw structural changes and older vessels were scrapped or placed into reserve, making funds and manpower available for newer ships. The launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 rendered all existing battleships obsolete.[43]
During the First World War, the Royal Navy's strength was mostly deployed at home in the Grand Fleet, confronting the German High Seas Fleet across the North Sea. Several inconclusive clashes took place between them, chiefly the Battle of Jutland in 1916.[44] The British fighting advantage proved insurmountable, leading the High Seas Fleet to abandon any attempt to challenge British dominance.[45] In the inter-war period, the Royal Navy was stripped of much of its power. The Washington and London Naval Treaties imposed the scrapping of some capital ships and limitations on new construction.[46] In 1932, the Invergordon Mutiny took place over a proposed 25% pay cut, which was eventually reduced to 10%.[47] International tensions increased in the mid-1930s and the re-armament of the Royal Navy was well under way by 1938. In addition to new construction, several existing old battleships, battlecruisers and heavy cruisers were reconstructed, and anti-aircraft weaponry reinforced, while new technologies, such as ASDIC, Huff-Duff and hydrophones, were developed.[48]
At the start of World War II in 1939, the Royal Navy was the largest in the world, with over 1,400 vessels[49][50] The Royal Navy provided critical cover during Operation Dynamo, the British evacuations from Dunkirk, and as the ultimate deterrent to a German invasion of Britain during the following four months. At Taranto, Admiral Cunningham commanded a fleet that launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history. The Royal Navy suffered heavy losses in the first two years of the war. Over 3,000 people were lost when the converted troopship Lancastria was sunk in June 1940, the greatest maritime disaster in Britain's history.[51] The Navy's most critical struggle was the Battle of the Atlantic defending Britain's vital commercial supply lines against U-boat attack. A traditional convoy system was instituted from the start of the war, but German submarine tactics, based on group attacks by "wolf-packs", were much more effective than in the previous war, and the threat remained serious for well over three years.[52]
After the Second World War, the decline of the British Empire and the economic hardships in Britain forced the reduction in the size and capability of the Royal Navy. The United States Navy instead took on the role of global naval power. Governments since have faced increasing budgetary pressures, partly due to the increasing cost of weapons systems.[53] In 1981, Defence Secretary John Nott had advocated and initiated a series of cutbacks to the Navy.[54] The Falklands War however proved a need for the Royal Navy to regain an expeditionary and littoral capability which, with its resources and structure at the time, would prove difficult. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Royal Navy was a force focused on blue-water anti-submarine warfare. Its purpose was to search for and destroy Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic, and to operate the nuclear deterrent submarine force. The navy received its first nuclear weapons with the introduction of the first of the Resolution-class submarines armed with the Polaris missile.[55]
Following the conclusion of the Cold War, the Royal Navy began to experience a gradual decline in its fleet size in accordance with the changed strategic environment it operated in. While new and more capable ships are continually brought into service, such as the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, Astute-class submarine, and Type 45 destroyer, the total number of ships and submarines operated has continued to steadily reduce. This has caused considerable debate about the size of the Royal Navy, with a 2013 report finding that the current RN was already too small, and that Britain would have to depend on her allies if her territories were attacked.[56] Following the retirement without replacement of the RAF's V bomber force in the 1980s, the Royal Navy also became solely responsible for the maintenance of the UK's nuclear deterrent. The financial costs attached to nuclear deterrence have become an increasingly significant issue for the navy.[57]
HMS Raleigh at Torpoint, Cornwall, is the basic training facility for newly enlisted ratings. Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment for the navy, located at Dartmouth, Devon. Personnel are divided into a warfare branch, which includes Warfare Officers (previously named seamen officers) and Naval Aviators,[58] as well other branches including the Royal Naval Engineers, Royal Navy Medical Branch, and Logistics Officers (previously named Supply Officers). Present-day officers and ratings have several different Royal Navy uniforms; some are designed to be worn aboard ship, others ashore or in ceremonial duties. Women began to join the Royal Navy in 1917 with the formation of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), which was disbanded after the end of the First World War in 1919. It was revived in 1939, and the WRNS continued until disbandment in 1993, as a result of the decision to fully integrate women into the structures of the Royal Navy. Women now serve in all sections of the Royal Navy including the Royal Marines.[59]
In August 2019, the Ministry of Defence published figures showing that the Royal Navy and Royal Marines had 29,090 full-time trained personnel compared with a target of 30,600.[60]
In December 2019 the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin outlined a proposal to reduce the number of Rear-Admirals at Navy Command by five.[61] The fighting arms (excluding Commandant General Royal Marines) would be reduced to Commodore (1-star) rank and the surface flotillas would be combined together. Training would be concentrated under the Fleet Commander.[62]
Amphibious warfare ships in current service include two landing platform docks (HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark). While their primary role is to conduct amphibious warfare, they have also been deployed for humanitarian aid missions.[63]
The Royal Navy has two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, currently undertaking sea and aircraft trials which are both due to enter naval service within the next few years. Each carrier cost £3 billion and displaces 65,000 tonnes (64,000 long tons; 72,000 short tons).[64] The first, HMS Queen Elizabeth commenced flight trials in 2018. Both are intended to operate the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II. Queen Elizabeth began sea trials in June 2017, was commissioned later that year, and will enter service in 2020, while the second, HMS Prince of Wales began sea trials on 22 September 2019, was commissioned in December 2019 and is due to enter service in 2023.[65][66][67][68] The aircraft carriers will form a central part of the UK Carrier Strike Group alongside escorts and support ships.[69]
The escort fleet comprises guided missile destroyers and frigates and is the traditional workhorse of the Navy.[70] As of September 2020 there are six Type 45 destroyers and 13 Type 23 frigates in active service. Among their primary roles is to provide escort for the larger capital ships—protecting them from air, surface and subsurface threats. Other duties include undertaking the Royal Navy's standing deployments across the globe, which often consists of: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy missions and providing humanitarian aid.[63]
The Type 45 is primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare and the Royal Navy describe the destroyer's mission as "to shield the Fleet from air attack".[71] They are equipped with the PAAMS (also known as Sea Viper) integrated anti-aircraft warfare system which incorporates the sophisticated SAMPSON and S1850M long range radars and the Aster 15 and 30 missiles.[72]
16 Type 23 frigates were delivered to the Royal Navy, with the final vessel, HMS St Albans, commissioned in June 2002. However, the 2004 Delivering Security in a Changing World review announced that three frigates would be paid off as part of a cost-cutting exercise, and these were subsequently sold to the Chilean Navy.[73] The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review announced that the remaining 13 Type 23 frigates would eventually be replaced by the Type 26 Frigate.[74] The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 reduced the procurement of Type 26 to eight with five Type 31e frigates to be procured.[75]
There are two classes of MCMVs in the Royal Navy: seven Sandown-class minehunters and six Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels. The Hunt-class vessels combine the separate roles of the traditional minesweeper and the active minehunter in one hull. If required, the Sandown and Hunt-class vessels can take on the role of offshore patrol vessels.[76]
Five Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels entered service between 2018 and 2021. These have Merlin-capable flight decks.
In December 2019, the modified 'Batch 1' River-class vessel, HMS Clyde, was decommissioned, with the 'Batch 2' HMS Forth taking over duties as the Falkland Islands patrol ship.[77][78]
HMS Protector is a dedicated Antarctic patrol ship that fulfils the nation's mandate to provide support to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).[79]HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel and at 13,500 tonnes is one of the largest ships in the Navy. The other survey vessels of the Royal Navy are the two multi-role ships of the Echo class, which came into service in 2002 and 2003. As of 2018, the newly commissioned HMS Magpie also undertakes survey duties at sea.[80]
The Navy's large fleet units are supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary which possesses three amphibious transport docks within its operational craft. These are known as the Bay-class landing ships, of which four were introduced in 2006–2007, but one was sold to the Royal Australian Navy in 2011.[81] In November 2006, the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band described the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels as "a major uplift in the Royal Navy's war fighting capability".[82]
The Submarine Service is the submarine based element of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes referred to as the "Silent Service",[83] as the submarines are generally required to operate undetected. Founded in 1901, the service made history in 1982 when, during the Falklands War, HMS Conqueror became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship, ARA General Belgrano. Today, all of the Royal Navy's submarines are nuclear-powered.[84]
The Royal Navy operates four Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines displacing nearly 16,000 tonnes and equipped with Trident II missiles (armed with nuclear weapons) and heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes, with the purpose to carry out Operation Relentless, the United Kingdom's Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD). The UK government has committed to replace these submarines with four new Dreadnought-class submarines, which will enter service in the "early 2030s" to maintain a nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet and the ability to launch nuclear weapons.[85][86]
Seven fleet submarines are presently in service, three Trafalgar class and four Astute class. Three more Astute-class fleet submarines will eventually replace the remaining Trafalgar-class boats.[87]
The Trafalgar class displace approximately 5,300 tonnes when submerged and are armed with Tomahawk land-attack missiles and Spearfish torpedoes. The Astute class at 7,400 tonnes[88] are much larger and carry a larger number of Tomahawk missiles and Spearfish torpedoes. HMS Audacious was the latest Astute-class boat to be commissioned.[89]
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft, it can trace its roots back to 1912 and the formation of the Royal Flying Corps. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates: The AW-101 Merlin HC4 in support of 3 Commando Brigade) as the Commando Helicopter Force, the AW-159 Wildcat HM2, the AW-101 Merlin HM2 in an anti-submarine role, and the F-35B Lightning II in the carrier strike role.[90]
Pilots designated for rotary wing service train under No. 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS)[91] at RAF Shawbury.[92]
The Royal Marines are an amphibious, specialised light infantry force of commandos, capable of deploying at short notice in support of Her Majesty's Government's military and diplomatic objectives overseas.[93] The Royal Marines are organised into a highly mobile light infantry brigade (3 Commando Brigade) and 7 commando units[94] including 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines and a company strength commitment to the Special Forces Support Group. The Corps operates in all environments and climates, though particular expertise and training is spent on amphibious warfare, Arctic warfare, mountain warfare, expeditionary warfare and commitment to the UK's Rapid Reaction Force. The Royal Marines are also the primary source of personnel for the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Royal Navy's contribution to the United Kingdom Special Forces.[95]
The Royal Marines have seen action in a number of wars, often fighting beside the British Army; including in the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, World War I and World War II. In recent times, the Corps has been deployed in expeditionary warfare roles, such as the Falklands War, the Gulf War, the Bosnian War, the Kosovo War, the Sierra Leone Civil War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. The Royal Marines have international ties with allied marine forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps[96] and the Netherlands Marine Corps/Korps Mariniers.[97]
The Royal Navy currently uses three major naval port bases in the UK, each housing its own flotilla of ships and boats ready for service, along with two naval air stations and a support facility base in Bahrain:
The current role of the Royal Navy is to protect British interests at home and abroad, executing the foreign and defence policies of Her Majesty's Government through the exercise of military effect, diplomatic activities and other activities in support of these objectives. The Royal Navy is also a key element of the British contribution to NATO, with a number of assets allocated to NATO tasks at any time.[111] These objectives are delivered via a number of core capabilities:[112]
The Royal Navy is currently deployed in different areas of the world, including some standing Royal Navy deployments. These include several home tasks as well as overseas deployments. The Navy is deployed in the Mediterranean as part of standing NATO deployments including mine countermeasures and NATO Maritime Group 2. In both the North and South Atlantic, RN vessels are patrolling. There is always a Falkland Islands patrol vessel on deployment, currently HMS Forth.[113]
The Royal Navy operates a Response Force Task Group (a product of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review), which is poised to respond globally to short-notice tasking across a range of defence activities, such as non-combatant evacuation operations, disaster relief, humanitarian aid or amphibious operations. In 2011, the first deployment of the task group occurred under the name 'COUGAR 11' which saw them transit through the Mediterranean where they took part in multinational amphibious exercises before moving further east through the Suez Canal for further exercises in the Indian Ocean.[114][115]
The RN presence in the Persian Gulf typically consists of a Type 45 destroyer and a squadron of minehunters supported by an RFA Bay-class "mothership"
In the Persian Gulf, the RN sustains commitments in support of both national and coalition efforts to stabilise the region. The Armilla Patrol, which started in 1980, is the navy's primary commitment to the Gulf region. The Royal Navy also contributes to the combined maritime forces in the Gulf in support of coalition operations.[116] The UK Maritime Component Commander, overseer of all of Her Majesty's warships in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters, is also deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces.[117] The Royal Navy has been responsible for training the fledgeling Iraqi Navy and securing Iraq's oil terminals following the cessation of hostilities in the country. The Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission (Navy) (Umm Qasr), headed by a Royal Navy captain, has been responsible for the former duty whilst Commander Task Force Iraqi Maritime, a Royal Navy commodore, has been responsible for the latter.[118][119]
The Royal Navy contributes to standing NATO formations and maintains forces as part of the NATO Response Force. The RN also has a long-standing commitment to supporting the Five Powers Defence Arrangements countries and occasionally deploys to the Far East as a result.[120] This deployment typically consists of a frigate and a survey vessel, operating separately. Operation Atalanta, the European Union's anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean, is permanently commanded by a senior Royal Navy or Royal Marines officer at Northwood Headquarters and the navy contributes ships to the operation.[121]
From 2015, the Royal Navy also re-formed its UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) after it was disbanded in 2011 due to the retirement of HMS Ark Royal and Harrier GR9s.[122][123] The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers form the central part of this formation, supported by various escorts and support ships, with the aim to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection.[124] The UKCSG first assembled at sea in October 2020 as part of a rehearsal for its first operational deployment in 2021.[69]
The titular head of the Royal Navy is the Lord High Admiral, a position which has been held by the Duke of Edinburgh since 2011. The position had been held by Queen Elizabeth II from 1964 to 2011;[125] the Sovereign is the Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces.[126] The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord, an admiral and member of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom. The Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence, which directs the Navy Board, a sub-committee of the Admiralty Board comprising only naval officers and Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants. These are all based in MOD Main Building in London, where the First Sea Lord, also known as the Chief of the Naval Staff, is supported by the Naval Staff Department.[127]
The Fleet Commander has responsibility for the provision of ships, submarines and aircraft ready for any operations that the Government requires. Fleet Commander exercises his authority through the Navy Command Headquarters, based at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth. An operational headquarters, the Northwood Headquarters, at Northwood, London, is co-located with the Permanent Joint Headquarters of the United Kingdom's armed forces, and a NATO Regional Command, Allied Maritime Command.[128]
The Royal Navy was the first of the three armed forces to combine the personnel and training command, under the Principal Personnel Officer, with the operational and policy command, combining the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, Fleet and Naval Home Command into a single organisation, Fleet Command, in 2005 and becoming Navy Command in 2008. Within the combined command, the Second Sea Lord continues to act as the Principal Personnel Officer.[129] Previously, Flag Officer Sea Training was part pf the list of top senior appointments in Navy Command, however, as part of the Navy Command Transformation Programme, the post has reduced from Rear-Admiral to Commodore, renamed as Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training.[130]
Intelligence support to fleet operations is provided by intelligence sections at the various headquarters and from MOD Defence Intelligence, renamed from the Defence Intelligence Staff in early 2010.[134]
The Royal Navy currently operates from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based; Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, Plymouth—Devonport is the largest operational naval base in the UK and Western Europe.[135] Each base hosts a flotilla command under a commodore, or, in the case of Clyde, a captain, responsible for the provision of operational capability using the ships and submarines within the flotilla. 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines is similarly commanded by a brigadier and based in Plymouth.[136]
Historically, the Royal Navy maintained Royal Navy Dockyards around the world.[137] Dockyards of the Royal Navy are harbours where ships are overhauled and refitted. Only four are operating today; at Devonport, Faslane, Rosyth and at Portsmouth.[138] A Naval Base Review was undertaken in 2006 and early 2007, the outcome being announced by Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, confirming that all would remain however some reductions in manpower were anticipated.[139]
The academy where initial training for future Royal Navy officers takes place is Britannia Royal Naval College, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon. Basic training for future ratings takes place at HMS Raleigh at Torpoint, Cornwall, close to HMNB Devonport.[140]
Significant numbers of naval personnel are employed within the Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and on exchange with the Army and Royal Air Force. Small numbers are also on exchange within other government departments and with allied fleets, such as the United States Navy. The navy also posts personnel in small units around the world to support ongoing operations and maintain standing commitments. Nineteen personnel are stationed in Gibraltar to support the small Gibraltar Squadron, the RN's only permanent overseas squadron. Some personnel are also based at East Cove Military Port and RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands to support APT(S). Small numbers of personnel are based in Diego Garcia (Naval Party 1002), Miami (NP 1011 – AUTEC), Singapore (NP 1022), Dubai (NP 1023) and elsewhere.[141]
On 6 December 2014, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced it would expand the UK's naval facilities in Bahrain to support larger Royal Navy ships deployed to the Persian Gulf. Once complete, it will be the UK's first permanent military base located East of Suez since it withdrew from the region in 1971. The base will reportedly be large enough to accommodate Type 45 destroyers and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.[142][143][144]
The navy of the United Kingdom is commonly referred to as the "Royal Navy" both in the United Kingdom and other countries. Navies of other Commonwealth countries where the British monarch is also head of state include their national name, e.g. Royal Australian Navy. Some navies of other monarchies, such as the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) and Kungliga Flottan (Royal Swedish Navy), are also called "Royal Navy" in their own language. The Danish Navy stands out with the term Royal incorporated in its official name (Royal Danish Navy), but only using the term "Flåden" (Navy) in everyday speech.[145] The French Navy, despite France being a republic since 1870, is often nicknamed "La Royale" (literally: The Royal).[146]
See also: List of active Royal Navy ships, , and Type system of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy ships in commission are prefixed since 1789 with Her Majesty's Ship (His Majesty's Ship), abbreviated to "HMS"; for example, HMS Beagle. Submarines are styled HM Submarine, also abbreviated "HMS". Names are allocated to ships and submarines by a naming committee within the MOD and given by class, with the names of ships within a class often being thematic (for example, the Type 23s are named after British dukes) or traditional (for example, the Invincible-class aircraft carriers all carry the names of famous historic ships). Names are frequently re-used, offering a new ship the rich heritage, battle honours and traditions of her predecessors. Often, a particular vessel class will be named after the first ship of that type to be built. As well as a name, each ship and submarine of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is given a pennant number which in part denotes its role. For example, the destroyer HMS Daring (D32) displays the pennant number 'D32'.[147]
See also: Royal Navy officer rank insignia and Royal Navy other rank insignia
The Royal Navy ranks, rates and insignia form part of the uniform of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy uniform is the pattern on which many of the uniforms of the other national navies of the world are based (e.g. Ranks and insignia of NATO navies officers, Uniforms of the United States Navy, Uniforms of the Royal Canadian Navy, French Naval Uniforms).[148]
1 Rank in abeyance – routine appointments no longer made to this rank, though honorary awards of this rank are occasionally made to senior members of the Royal family and prominent former First Sea Lords.
The Royal Navy has several formal customs and traditions including the use of ensigns and ships badges. Royal Navy ships have several ensigns used when under way and when in port. Commissioned ships and submarines wear the White Ensign at the stern whilst alongside during daylight hours and at the main-mast whilst under way. When alongside, the Union Jack is flown from the jackstaff at the bow, and can only be flown under way either to signal a court-martial is in progress or to indicate the presence of an admiral of the fleet on-board (including the Lord High Admiral or the monarch).[149]
The Fleet Review is an irregular tradition of assembling the fleet before the monarch. The first review on record was held in 1400, and the most recent review as of 2009 was held on 28 June 2005 to mark the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar; 167 ships from many different nations attended with the Royal Navy supplying 67.[150]
There are several less formal traditions including service nicknames and Naval slang, known as "Jackspeak".[151] The nicknames include "The Andrew" (of uncertain origin, possibly after a zealous press ganger)[152][153] and "The Senior Service".[154][155] British sailors are referred to as "Jack" (or "Jenny"), or more widely as "Matelots". Royal Marines are fondly known as "Bootnecks" or often just as "Royals". A compendium of Naval slang was brought together by Commander A. Covey-Crump and his name has in itself become the subject of Naval slang; Covey Crump.[154] A game traditionally played by the Navy is the four-player board game known as "Uckers". This is similar to Ludo and it is regarded as easy to learn, but difficult to play well.[156]
The above organisations are the responsibility of the CUY branch of Commander Core Training and Recruiting (COMCORE) who reports to Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST).[160]
The Royal Navy of the 18th century is depicted in many novels and several films dramatising the voyage and mutiny on the Bounty.[161] The Royal Navy's Napoleonic campaigns of the early 19th century are also a popular subject of historical novels. Some of the best-known are Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series[162] and C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower chronicles.[163]
The Navy can also be seen in numerous films. The fictional spy James Bond is a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).[164] The Royal Navy is featured in The Spy Who Loved Me, when a nuclear ballistic-missile submarine is stolen,[165] and in Tomorrow Never Dies when a media baron sinks a Royal Navy warship in an attempt to trigger a war between the UK and People's Republic of China.[166] Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was based on Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.[167] The Pirates of the Caribbean series of films also includes the Navy as the force pursuing the eponymous pirates.[168] Noël Coward directed and starred in his own film In Which We Serve, which tells the story of the crew of the fictional HMS Torrin during the Second World War. It was intended as a propaganda film and was released in 1942. Coward starred as the ship's captain, with supporting roles from John Mills and Richard Attenborough.[169]
C. S. Forester's Hornblower novels have been adapted for television.[170] The Royal Navy was the subject of an acclaimed 1970s BBC television drama series, Warship,[171] and of a five-part documentary, Shipmates, that followed the workings of the Royal Navy day to day.[172]
Television documentaries about the Royal Navy include: Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World, a four-part documentary depicting Britain's rise as a naval superpower, up until the First World War;[173] Sailor, about life on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal;[174] and Submarine, about the submarine captains' training course, 'The Perisher'.[175] There have also been Channel 5 documentaries such as Royal Navy Submarine Mission, following a nuclear-powered fleet submarine.[176]
The popular BBC radio comedy series The Navy Lark featured a fictitious warship ("HMS Troutbridge") and ran from 1959 to 1977.[177]
Rockefeller Plaza, San Francisco, S.F.
News Directory is a collection of powerful news brands that deliver top stories on our platform.


GETTING YOUR BEES READY FOR WINTER!
September 2018 is coming to a close!
This year is my 9th year of beekeeping. I have learned so much in these 9 years and will probably learn a lot more in the years to come. That is why I Love being one who cares for bees. Bees and pollinators of all types. They teach me so much, if I just slow down to listen.
They teach the ways of nature, the rhythms of the seasons and survival of each species, whether it be insect, bird or mammal. Since I have gotten bees, these things have become more important to me and I feel a need to share this information with others. The ways of man have not been very kind to this planet. This needs to change.
I am the Care Taker of the Bees. I look at my roll differently than when I first started keeping bees. Beekeeper describes an "ownership". Yes, I own the bees in my apiary, but.....not really. They have been doing what they do for so much longer than I have been here on this earth. They have a wonderful, delightful rhythm that amazes me each time that I observe them.
They know when a certain type of food is available to them and they know when food is scarce. They know to build up the brood in the hive when there is ample food available and they know when to slow down the brood production or stop producing drones when the food is scarce.
I have also learned to respect what the bees bring into their hive. A greedy beekeeper is the worst enemy of the honey bee!!
I grow many different plants for my bees, but sometimes I go out to look at something that just came into bloom, thinking that I will see the honey bees on it......but they are not there! Yet, I go to the entrance of the hive to see what they are bringing in, and there are bees with different colors of pollen and bees that are obviously full of nectar (coming in with their rear ends loaded down). Sometimes they are not getting it from my flowers that I have grown, but a source that they have found. A source better than I can provide at the time.
I am blessed to live in an area where man had not totally destroyed all of the forage. A lake area that butts up against the northern and western ends of my property. The land is somewhat protected from many of the destructive ways that we see today. The bees take advantage of the forage that is growing on this property and, sometimes, don't really pay attention to what I am growing. There are many pollinators on the forage that I grow, but the honey bees know what they need and they may go somewhere else to find it!
I am not saying that my honey bees never forage on the plants that I have grown, they just are not foraging on them when I think they should be foraging on them. Maybe I look at the plants in the afternoon and the bees only like them in the morning (or vice versa). They know when the nectar is at it's prime. Bees are going to do what is best for them...always!
Getting them ready for winter may not be that big of a deal if I pay attention to the bees throughout the rest of the year, and I have learned this through experience. Knowing what kind of nectar flows there have been through the year and not being "the greedy beekeeper" will ensure that the bees have enough food to eat through the winter. I try to stay aware of the food stores that they are bringing in.
Then there is the question of "mites". There has been such a scare in the beekeeping world and again, man thinks he knows what is best for the bees by putting chemicals into the hive to kill "a bug on a bug". This is a subject that really aggravates me!! Why all of a sudden do we need to control this?? and WHY & WHEN are chemicals the answer??
As you can guess, I do not treat my bees for mites. Remember "survival of the fittest"? The strong survive....and when man thinks he knows best, the bees have already figured it out. We just need to leave them alone!!! We are actually breeding weak, wimpy bees by putting these foreign substances in the hive. Many of us that "care" for our bees have determined that there is no place for this practice. Yes, I may lose some bees, but I do not need to "prop" up nature. Nature takes care of its self.
Another very controversial topic in the "getting ready for winter" category is insulation of the hive. Let me ask you something.....where would bees prefer to have their homes? If you know anything about bees, the correct answer would be "in a tree cavity". The tree cavity is thick and provides necessary insulation to the bees in both the summer and the winter. Man again thinks he knows better (or mostly it's for the beekeeper's convenience of taking honey) and has put bees in thin pine wood hives. The thickness of the walls on these hives are about an inch. Much, much less than that tree cavity.
Bees in winter cluster together and continually vibrate to produce heat to the cluster. In the middle of that cluster is the Queen bee. They will keep the queen at approximately 90 degrees in the middle of that cluster. The Worker bees will vibrate in and out of that cluster so that everyone can stay warm. Yes, I said Worker bees keep the Queen warm. There are no drones in the hive during winter, as the hive has kicked them out in the fall to conserve the food stores through winter. Queens can always make more drones in the spring when they are most needed for mating purposes.
Just as it is much more efficient if you have insulation in your house, it is the same for the bees. Bees do not heat the entire hive...only the cluster that they are in, but if the temperature is somewhat warmer in the hive, it is easier for the bees to keep that cluster at the temperature that it needs to be.
Where I live, there is a great fluctuation of temperatures. One night we can have temps in the teens or single digits, the next day it can be above freezing and again at night be in the single digits or teens . This fluctuation in temperatures can causes condensation in the hive. This fluctuation can be very hard on the bees. With insulation and proper ventilation, I find that my bees deal with this fluctuation much better and are much healthier when they emerge again in the Spring.
There are many beekeepers that do not insulate, even in colder temperatures than mine. Again, I just want to try to provide what would be similar to what nature provides.
That ends my topic for the month. Not many pictures on this topic, so I will leave you with some pictures of flowers that are blooming in my gardens in September and October. These are (in my experience) late blooming flowers that the bees cannot resist.


text:
ABOUT THE PERSECUTION
LIFE OF AN AHMADI MUSLIM
PERSECUTION AROUND THE WORLD
Doctor from Ahmadi minority shot dead in Pakistan
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen in Pakistan have shot and killed a homeopathic doctor from the Ahmadi minority in the southern port city of Karachi, police said Tuesday.
The attackers stormed into Abdul Khaliq's clinic late Monday and shot him in the head, police officer Rao Anwar said.
The Ahmadi faith was established in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who followers believe was a prophet. Pakistan's parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974, and they have repeatedly been targeted by Islamic extremists.
Another Ahmadi was shot and killed in the same Karachi neighborhood in May, Anwar said, adding that police were looking into whether the two incidents were related.
Authorities took two local TV shows off the air Friday for airing discussions about the Ahmadi community and demanded they publicly apologize for their "irresponsible" treatment of sensitive issues.
On one of the shows, Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi asked religious scholars whether the state had the right to declare a community non-Muslim, prompting a backlash by Islamic extremists on social media. On the other TV show, a cleric criticized Abbasi, saying "if the law doesn't decide (his fate), Muslims will."
Mohammad Tahir, a spokesman for the media regulator, said both channels had agreed to apologize on air, and that both programs would then be allowed to resume.
Karachi, Pakistan's commercial hub, has long been the scene of ethnic and political violence. On Tuesday, gunmen in plainclothes used a police vehicle to kidnap the son of a provincial judge from an upscale part of the city, said police officer Mushtaq Mahar. He declined to comment on who might have been behind the abduction.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3652728/Doctor-Ahmadi-minority-shot-dead-Pakistan.html#ixzz4CJ6UZUBL
Previous PostDoctor from Ahmadi minority community killed in PakistanNext PostPakistan: Ahmadi Apartheid – Analysis
To know more about Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK visit:
LoveForAllHatredForNone.org
To know more about the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community visit:
APPG-AhmadiyyaMuslim.org.uk
ExternalAffairs@ahmadiyyauk.org
@ST_Persecution
An official website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK
This Cookie Policy explains how Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK (AMA UK) Limited ("company", "we", "us", and "ours") use cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our websites, including without limitation www.ahmadiyyauk.org and its mobile or localized versions and related domains / sub-domains ("Websites") and/or our mobile application ("App"). It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.
Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or mobile application. Cookies are then sent back to the originating site on each subsequent visit, or to another site that recognizes that cookies. You can find out more information about cookies at www.allaboutcookies.org.
Cookies are widely used in order to make sites work or to work more efficiently.
We use cookies to enhance the online experience of our visitors (for example, by remembering your visits and/or page preferences) and to better understand how our site is used. Cookies may tell us, for example, whether you have visited our site before or whether you are a new visitor.
Cookies can remain on your computer or mobile device for different periods of time. Some cookies are 'session cookies', meaning that they exist only while your browser is open. These are deleted automatically once you close your browser. Other cookies are 'permanent cookies,' meaning that they survive after your browser is closed. They can be used by the site to recognize your computer or mobile device when you open your browser and browse the Internet again.
We use cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons in order for our Websites and/or App to operate, and we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our Websites and/or App. Third parties serve cookies through our Websites and/or App for analytics and other purposes such as Google Analytics. In particular, we use forms related cookies which when you submit data through a form such as those found on contact pages or comment forms cookies may be set to remember your user details for future correspondence.
How can you control cookies?
You have the right to choose whether or not to accept cookies and we have explained how you can exercise this right below. However, please note that if you do not accept our cookies, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of our site.
You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information.
How often will we update this Cookie Policy?
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Please, therefore, re-visit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A resourceful baker. Her resentful husband. Can they rekindle their love in time for Christmas?
Leena Johansen loves her job baking Norwegian treats for the townsfolk of Bear Grass Springs. She only wishes her new marriage were as sweet. When her husband demands she make a choice that will rip her from the life she is creating, she makes a drastic decision.
Karl Johansen is a proud man. He never thought Leena would marry a man like him. When he attempts to bend her to his will, he risks more than he imagined. Now, as Christmas approaches, he must find a way to put their relationship to rights before it is too late.
Will Karl and Leena realize that no one wins in a battle of wills and that compromise fosters great love?
Jubilant Montana Christmas is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Ramona's website for the scoop on all of her books!


Welcome to Action Auto. Be sure to visit our virtual showroom of inventory available for purchase. There you will see detailed information about each vehicle, a picture gallery, as well as convenient ways to contact us for more information about that vehicle. We are located at 1602 South 8th street and are available by phone at 712-322-8285 . You can also get driving directions and hours of service from our user friendly website.


There are some places that pretty much everyone who visits here will want to explore such as Machu Picchu (of course), Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, and Sacsayhuaman in Cusco. All will involve a fair amount of walking, but these tours can be modified to include more hiking if you desire.
Other activities that can be arranged either in combination with historical or cultural tours, or done on their own, include: horseback riding, mountain biking, stand-up paddle board (with or without yoga), and multi-day treks.
In particular, our flagship trek is the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with yoga and massage. On this journey, you will pass between snow-capped glacier mountains, through open pastures and ending up in the high jungle around Machu Picchu. With two nights camping, two nights in the beautiful EcoQuechua Lodge in Santa Teresa, and two nights in Aguas Calientes, you will have an experience that you will never forget.


text:
artworks Menu
jewellery & objects
'Still Life' by Kurt Ullberger
artist: Kurt Ullberger (Swedish 1919-2008)
dimensions: 64 x 99 cm canvas / 77 x 110 cm frame
signed and dated 48
presented in its original frame
AU$2450 (approx US $1685 / 1515 EUROS / 184,000 yen / 1260 GBP - for exact current conversion visit xe.com)
** NOTE - this is a large painting and too big to ship via Airmail post. If you are outside of Australia extra shipping will need to be added (we estimate the total shipping would be around AU$300)
Kurt Ullberger was born in Visby on 18th January 1919 in Visby. He was a Swedish painter and illustrator.
Ullberger studied at Edvin Ollers målarskolan. He painted and worked mainly with landscapes from Gotland in a semi-cubic style. He was chairman of the Arts Club in Stockholm from 1960 to 1966 and vice chairman and chairman of the KRO (Konstnärernas Riksorganisation - Artists' Association) from 1958 to 1964.
Ullberger's first solo show was in 1946 in Stockholm and he exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions through his career. He painted a number of public art pieces including ones in Visby, Hemse, Burgsvik, Upplands Väsby, Tensta, LO School Hasseludden and Mariestad's Theatre.
Examples of his work are held in the National Museum and Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm, Norrköping Art Museum, Borås Art Museum, Eskilstuna Art Museum and the Karlstad Museum.
Kurt Ullberger passed away aged 90 in Stockholm on 18th April 2008.
gallery midlandia
148 johnston st
collingwood vic 3066 australia
thursday / friday / saturday
and by appointment at
© 2020, gallery midlandia
© 2020, gallery midlandia Powered by Shopify


It's pretty common for bilateral deals that were worked out ahead of time to be celebrated at multi-national international conferences. That's how a deal to allow Argentina to export raw beef to the United States came about on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires.
It was a success for President Donald J. Trump and Argentine President Mauricio Macri that was actually all settled right before the official start of the G20, which was in session Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Details about how the reciprocal trade will work are being worked out.
"Although Argentina has been eligible to export cooked and ready-to-eat processed beef products to the United States, it has not been eligible to export raw beef products for several years," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
This year's G-20 Summit included numerous meetings held during the week prior to Nov. 30. Argentina is as celebrated for its beef, as it is for its Malbec wines and Pisco Sours.
The last export of raw Argentine beef to the United States occurred in 2001. Trade ended out of U.S. concerns over foot and mouth disease in the South American country. An Argentine vaccine program has lessened those concerns.
The FSIS ruling was the only remaining step for Argentina to re-enter the USA market with its raw beef products.
According to Argentina's international trade secretary Marisa Bircher, the agreement will permit unlimited U.S. beef exports to Argentina, but cap Argentine exports to the U.S. at 200,000 tons annually. Exports from Argentina to the U.S. could exceed that amount, with a 27 percent tariff.
Argentina's raw beef exports are on the rise. China doubled its Argentine beef purchases in 2018, helping return Argentina to the world's Top 10 beef producers.
The U.S. produced almost 12 million tons of beef during 2017, exporting 1.3 million. Argentina's beef and veal production hit 2.8 million tons, with about 300,000 tons for the export market in 2017.


text:
COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Major Backsliding on Childhood Vaccinations, New WHO, UNICEF Data Shows
July 16, 2021 LNCT Network Coordinators
This news release originally appeared on the WHO's website here. Below is an excerpt.
23 million children missed out on basic vaccines through routine immunization services in 2020 – 3.7 million more than in 2019 – according to official data published today by WHO and UNICEF. This latest set of comprehensive worldwide childhood immunization figures, the first official figures to reflect global service disruptions due to COVID-19, show a majority of countries last year experienced drops in childhood vaccination rates.
Concerningly, most of these – up to 17 million children – likely did not receive a single vaccine during the year, widening already immense inequities in vaccine access. Most of these children live in communities affected by conflict, in under-served remote places, or in informal or slum settings where they face multiple deprivations including limited access to basic health and key social services.
Disruptions in immunization services were widespread in 2020, with the WHO Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean Regions most affected. As access to health services and immunization outreach were curtailed, the number of children not receiving even their very first vaccinations increased in all regions. As compared with 2019, 3.5 million more children missed their first dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP-1) while 3 million more children missed their first measles dose.
Table 1: Countries with the greatest increase in children not receiving a first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis combined vaccine (DTP-1)
India 1'403'000 3'038'000
Pakistan 567'000 968'000
Indonesia 472'000 797'000
Philippines 450'000 557'000
Mexico 348000 454'000
Mozambique 97'000 186'000
Angola 399'000 482'000
United Republic of Tanzania 183'000 249'000
Argentina 97'000 156'000
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 75'000 134'000
Mali 136'000 193'000
The data shows that middle-income countries now account for an increasing share of unprotected children – that is, children missing out on at least some vaccine doses. India is experiencing a particularly large drop, with DTP-3 coverage falling from 91% to 85%.
Fuelled by funding shortfalls, vaccine misinformation, instability and other factors, a troubling picture is also emerging in WHO's Region of the Americas, where vaccination coverage continues to fall. Just 82% of children are fully vaccinated with DTP, down from 91% in 2016.


text:
'Red Raven', 'Spirit' originals to be sold in auction (DigitalSpy.com)
By Mark Langshaw
Heritage Auctions is to sell the remaining copies from the Edgar Church Mile High Collection later this month.
Original copies of Will Eisner's Spirit, and the Jack Kirby-drawn Red Raven #1 will be among the 150 books going under the hammer at the event, reports ICv2.
The comics are the last remaining issues of an 18,000-copy collection of pre-1955 comics, valued at more than $100 million (£72m). Mile High founder Chuck Rozanski said that he held on to the comics due to their rarity, and out of respect for their creators.
"Did You Learn Anything?" For my Father and Will Eisner (Salon.com) (aspiritedlife.com)
The Making Of Francis Manapul's Excellent 'The Flash' Teaser (ComicsAlliance.com) (aspiritedlife.com)
NYCC: The Iconicism of The Batman and The Spirit (ComicBookResources.com) (aspiritedlife.com)
The Someday Funnies – an exclusive Boing Boing preview (aspiritedlife.com)
Will Eisner's Superman (ComicAze) (aspiritedlife.com)
REVIEW: Will Eisner's P.S. Magazine: The Best of The Preventive Maintenance Monthly (ComicMix.com) (aspiritedlife.com)
Comics Instruction interviews with Mr. Media (mrmedia.com)
Comics: The Return of the Good Duck Artist (The Morton Report) (aspiritedlife.com)
Magazine Cartoonist interviews with Mr. Media (mrmedia.com)


text:
Justia Dockets & Filings Sixth Circuit Michigan Eastern District Kirk v. Hemingway Filing 12
Kirk v. Hemingway
OPINION and ORDER Denying 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Denying Leave to Appeal in Forma Pauperis. Signed by District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. (DPar)
Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.123 Filed 01/17/23 Page 1 of 10 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION ALEXANDER KIRK, Case No. 2:21-cv-11144 Petitioner, HONORABLE STEPHEN J. MURPHY, III v. JONATHAN HEMINGWAY, Respondent. / OPINION AND ORDER DENYING PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS [1] The Government charged Petitioner Alexander Kirk under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(D) in the Southern District of Iowa with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute less than fifty kilograms of marijuana. ECF 8, PgID 69.1 The Government then filed an information under 21 U.S.C. § 851 and noted that Petitioner was subject to an enhanced sentence of up to ten years' imprisonment because he had two previous felony drug convictions. Id.2 After Petitioner pleaded Petitioner is currently an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana, but he was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan at the time he filed the petition. ECF 1, PgID 1; see also Inmate Profile, bop.gov/inmateloc/. Petitioner was previously confined in Milan, Michigan "because the Attorney General ha[d] custody of him in the Eastern District of Michigan." Id. at 12. 2 The two previous felony drug convictions include: (1) a 2005 conviction for possession with intent to deliver marijuana, Iowa Code § 24.401(1)(d); and (2) three 2007 convictions for distribution of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, and felon in possession of a firearm, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1); 841(b)(1)(D); 851. ECF 8, PgID 77–79. 1 Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.124 Filed 01/17/23 Page 2 of 10 guilty to the charges in the indictment, the district court adopted the enhanced sentence in the § 851 information over Petitioner's objection and sentenced Petitioner to concurrent terms of eighty months' imprisonment. Id. at 92; 104; 108. Petitioner moved to appoint counsel for an appeal. ECF 7, PgID 55. He claimed he was sentenced "under the wrong violation." Id. The district court denied Petitioner's motion because the time for appeal had run. Id.; see also ECF 1, PgID 11. The district court also noted that Petitioner could still timely seek relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. ECF 7, PgID 56. Petitioner then moved to appoint counsel to petition for a writ of habeas corpus under § 2255. Id. at 56. He argued that the § 851 information should have been presented to a grand jury and that he should have been "sentenced for a low class A violation." Id. The district court denied the motion and advised Petitioner that he could still file a § 2255 motion "that might warrant appointment of counsel." Id. Next, Petitioner moved for production of grand jury transcripts. Id. He claimed he was planning to file a habeas petition. Id. The district court denied the motion and advised Petitioner to file a § 2255 motion. Id. Petitioner has yet to seek relief under § 2255. Petitioner then moved for modification of his sentence. Id. at 57. He argued that the sentence enhancement under § 851 violated the First Step Act, 21 U.S.C. § 802(57), because his convictions were not "serious drug offenses" under § 401(a)(1) of the First Step Act. Id. The district court denied the motion because § 401(a)(1) of Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.125 Filed 01/17/23 Page 3 of 10 the First Step Act did not apply to the enhancement of sentences under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(D), the provision Petitioner was charged under. Id. Last, Petitioner filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in the Eastern District of Michigan. ECF 1. Respondent Jonathan Hemingway responded. ECF 7.3 For the following reasons, the Court will deny the petition. LEGAL STANDARD A federal prisoner seeking to challenge a conviction or sentence must normally move to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 with the sentencing court. Charles v. Chandler, 180 F.3d 753, 755–56 (6th Cir. 1999). A federal prisoner may challenge a conviction or sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in the district court where he is confined only if he establishes that the "remedy afforded under § 2255 is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention." Id. at 756 (quotation and quotation marks omitted). The prisoner has the burden of establishing that the remedy under § 2255 is inadequate or ineffective. Id. A § 2255 remedy is not inadequate or ineffective simply because a § 2255 motion has not been made, has already been denied, or is procedurally barred. Id. A federal prisoner may obtain habeas relief under § 2241 based on a misapplied sentencing enhancement if he establishes: "(1) a case of statutory interpretation, Respondent is the warden of the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan in which Petitioner was a prisoner at the time of his petition. ECF 8, PgID 64. 3 Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.126 Filed 01/17/23 Page 4 of 10 (2) that is retroactive and could not have been invoked in the initial § 2255 motion, and (3) that the misapplied sentence presents an error sufficiently grave to be deemed a miscarriage of justice or a fundamental defect." Hill v. Masters, 836 F.3d 591, 595 (6th Cir. 2016). He must also show that (4) "he had no prior reasonable opportunity to bring his argument for relief." Wright v. Spaulding, 939 F.3d 695, 705 (6th Cir. 2019). "If a petitioner proves these elements, he has demonstrated that a § 2255 motion is otherwise 'inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention' and may . . . employ § 2241." McCormick v. Butler, 977 F.3d 521, 525 (6th Cir. 2020) (quoting Hill, 836 F.3d at 594). DISCUSSION Petitioner argued that the sentencing court improperly enhanced his sentence under the § 851 information because his prior drug convictions were not "serious drug offenses" under § 401(a)(1) of the First Step Act. ECF 1, PgID 6–7. The improper sentence, Petitioner argued, deprived him of procedural and substantive due process. Id. Respondent Jonathan Hemingway maintained that the petition should be denied "because [Petitioner] has not demonstrated that his remedy under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 was inadequate or ineffective, or that he was sentenced improperly." ECF 7, PgID 53. Because Petitioner did not establish that § 401(a)(1) applies retroactively or that his argument could not have been raised in a § 2255 motion, the Court will deny Petitioner's motion. Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.127 Filed 01/17/23 Page 5 of 10 To begin, Petitioner satisfied the first Hill element because he alleged that his prior drug convictions were not "serious drug offenses" under § 401(a)(1) of the First Step Act, 21 U.S.C. § 802(57). See Hill, 836 F.3d at 595 (requiring Petitioner to establish "a case of statutory interpretation"). By alleging that his convictions were improperly classified under a federal statute, Petitioner satisfied the first Hill element. But Petitioner failed to satisfy the second Hill element, which requires Petitioner to establish that the case of statutory interpretation "is retroactive and could not have been invoked in the initial § 2255 motion." Id. The Court will first consider whether § 401(a)(1) applies retroactively to Petitioner's sentence. Then, the Court will address whether the statutory interpretation issue could have been invoked in an earlier § 2255 motion. Congress enacted the First Step Act on December 21, 2018. United States v. Gatewood, 807 F. App'x 459, 461 (6th Cir. 2020). The act provides that § 401 "shall apply to any offense that was committed before the date of enactment of this Act, if a sentence for the offense has not been imposed as of such date of enactment." § 401(c). In other words, if a sentence was imposed before December 21, 2018, § 401 would apply retroactively. Here, the district court sentenced Petitioner on May 16, 2019. ECF 8, PgID 108. Because Petitioner's sentence was imposed after the enactment of the First Step Act, § 401(a)(1) does not apply retroactively to Petitioner's case. See United States v. Wills, 997 F.3d 685, 688 (6th Cir. 2021) (rejecting prisoner's Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.128 Filed 01/17/23 Page 6 of 10 argument that § 401 applied retroactively to his pre-enactment sentence because "section 401 does not apply retroactively"). The second Hill element also requires Petitioner to establish that he could not have raised his statutory interpretation argument in an initial § 2255 petition. Hill, 836 F.3d at 595. But Petitioner has yet to seek relief under § 2255. And the district court reminded him at least three times that he could file a § 2255 motion. ECF 7, PgID 55–56. That Petitioner failed to take advantage of the district court's repeated reminders does not now entitle him to "another bite at the apple." Wright, 939 F.3d at 706. Nor does it establish that a § 2255 motion would have been inadequate or ineffective to test his sentence. Petitioner therefore failed to satisfy the second Hill requirement and is not entitled to relief under § 2241. Petitioner also failed to satisfy the third Hill requirement: that he is subject to a misapplied sentence that "presents an error sufficiently grave to be deemed a miscarriage of justice or a fundamental defect." Hill, 836 F.3d at 595. The district court adopted the sentencing enhancement in the Government's information under 21 U.S.C. § 851 and sentenced Petitioner to concurrent terms of eighty months' imprisonment for violating 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(D). ECF 8, PgID 92. Petitioner's argument, as it relates to the third Hill requirement, is essentially that the district court's adoption of the sentencing enhancement constituted a miscarriage of justice or a fundamental defect. Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.129 Filed 01/17/23 Page 7 of 10 The Court finds that the district court did not err in adopting the sentencing enhancement. Petitioner was charged under § 841(b)(1)(D), which provides (in relevant part): In the case of less than [fifty] kilograms of marihuana, . . . such person shall . . . be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than [five] years . . . . If any person commits such a violation after a prior conviction for a felony drug offense has become final, such person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than [ten] years. Id. The Government's information, which recommended a sentence of up to ten years' imprisonment, was an accurate reflection of the statutory text. See ECF 8, PgID 69. And the district court's adoption of the information's recommendation was thus not a misapplication of the law or a miscarriage of justice. On the contrary, it was in accordance with the plain text of § 841(b)(1)(D). Petitioner therefore failed to satisfy the third Hill requirement because he did not show that he was subject to a misapplied sentence sufficiently grave to be deemed a miscarriage of justice or a fundamental defect. 836 F.3d at 595. Beyond failing to satisfy the second and third Hill requirements, Petitioner also failed to show that "he had no prior reasonable opportunity to bring his argument for relief." Wright, 939 F.3d at 705. Indeed, Petitioner did not even argue that he lacked such an opportunity. See ECF 1, PgID 1–21. Petitioner received at least three reminders from the district court that he could bring a § 2255 motion. ECF 7, PgID 55–56. And his failure to seize those opportunities is fatal to his position. Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.130 Filed 01/17/23 Page 8 of 10 In all, because he failed to establish that § 401(a)(1) applies retroactively or that the "remedy afforded under § 2255 is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention," Charles, 180 F.3d at 755–56, Petitioner cannot proceed under § 2241. To appeal the Court's decision, Petitioner must obtain a certificate of appealability. To obtain a certificate of appealability, Petitioner must make "a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right." 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). Petitioner must show "that reasonable jurists could debate whether" the Court should have resolved the § 2254 petition "in a different manner, or that the issues presented were adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further." Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 483–84 (2000) (internal quotation marks and quotation omitted). Jurists of reason would not debate the Court's denial of the petition. The Court will thus deny a certificate of appealability. Last, the Court will deny Petitioner leave to appeal in forma pauperis because he cannot take an appeal in good faith. See Fed. R. App. P. 24(a); 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3). WHEREFORE, it is hereby ORDERED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus [1] is DENIED. SO ORDERED. s/ Stephen J. Murphy, III STEPHEN J. MURPHY, III United States District Judge Dated: January 17, 2023 Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.131 Filed 01/17/23 Page 9 of 10 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was served upon the parties and/or counsel of record on January 17, 2023, by electronic and/or ordinary mail. s/ David P. Parker Case Manager Case 2:21-cv-11144-SJM-EAS ECF No. 12, PageID.132 Filed 01/17/23 Page 10 of 10


text:
Q: how to get variable from different AngularJS file? How is it possible to get $scope variable from different file (with different module)? For example, I have two files - index.js  and login.js, I want to get username from login.js in index.js. I tried to use services but couldn't achieve that goal. The controller doesn't see service in another angular file.
Codes partially are given below:
bookApp.controller('bookListCtrl', ['sharedProperties', function($scope, $http, sharedProperties) {
'use strict';

$scope.name = "Alice";

console.log("in book controller");

console.log("getting login name: "+sharedProperties.getProperty());

and
var authentication = angular.module('authentication', []);

 authentication.service('sharedProperties', function () {
                  var property = 'First';

                  return {
                      getProperty: function () {
                          return property;
                      },
                      setProperty: function(value) {
                          property = value;
                      }
                  };
});

I got this exception -

angular.min.js:63 Error: Unknown provider: authentication.sharedPropertiesProvider <- authentication.sharedProperties
      at Error (native)
      at

A: Can you give an example how you've used services?
Normally if you define controllers like:
app.controller('LoginController', ['UserService', function($scope) {
   $scope.someMethod = function(){
       // push information to service
       UserService.username = $scope.username;
   }
}]);

app.controller('IndexController', ['UserService', function($scope) {
   // pull information from service
   $scope.username = UserService.username;
}]);

It should work. I must suggest you thou to use Controller as instead of $scope. More info here: https://docs.angularjs.org/api/ng/directive/ngController

A: There are 2 problems in the given implementation. The first problem is that the module 'authentication' needs to be a dependency for the consuming modules. The second problem is in the declaration of bookListCtrl. It needs to be defined as follows.
bookApp.controller('bookListCtrl', ['$scope','$http','sharedProperties', function($scope, $http, sharedProperties){
}]);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Hager Forum recently launched its first intercultural event based on the Chinese New Year. It was an opportunity to encourage international cooperation between different group entities and local partners.
From 8th to 19th February Spark and Hager Forum, in Obernai - France, hosted a series of activities; the aim being to build connections between the different group sites, strengthen intercultural character, introduce colleagues to Chinese culture and showcase company values to visiting customers. With this in mind, Hager Forum team worked with Chinese employees to create a programme that will be further developed with each passing year. "We want to make Hager Forum a real meeting place that brings together our company's various stakeholders and different cultures.
This interactions and diversity is essential for all to benefit and develop new projects, both locally and internationally," emphasised Ana Maria Arteaga, Hager Forum Manager.
Every day almost 400 people experienced the special Asian atmosphere at Hager Forum. This year the festivities were centred in Spark, with participants enjoying Chinese-inspired culinary specialities, receiving traditional lucky red envelopes and solving riddles. Flyers and the giant screen in Spark provided information about Hager Group presence in China and Chinese New Year traditions. Meanwhile, decorative lanterns and Chinese music set the mood.
Throughout the entire period there was also a photo booth where colleagues could have their photo taken wearing red monkey masks –2016 being the Year of the Monkey. In total, 150 photos of employees, customers and Italian visitors were put together to create an animated greeting card for Chinese employees from Huizhou, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
We would like to wish customers, partners and employees from China and everywhere else a Happy Year of the Monkey, full of cooperation.


text:
Q: Is it possible to copy a disk image to a smaller disk? Let me explain, for a greater detail (although this casuistry will serve for many more cases): I have a cloned image of a 512GB mSATA disk, which in practice, really dlos comanoes not reach 10GB used by the operating system (the rest is as free space yet). On the other hand, I would like to copy this image to a 256GB disk, also mSATA.
Is there a way to instruct dd to copy only the part of the disk with content?
The commands I have used to clone and copy are:
dd bs=512K if=/dev/sdx | gzip -c  > /image.img.gz
zcat /image.img.gz | cp --sparse=always /dev/stdin mini.img

I have mounted and made modifications on mini.img, then:
dd bs=512K if=mini.img of=/dev/sdy

If I do it on a disk of similar size, of course there is no problem. However, if I do it over the bottom disk it does not throw error, but terminates.
But when I try to start the operating system, I run into this problem:
[...]
Begin: Running /scripts/iniy-premount ... done.
Begin: Mounting root file system ... Begin: Running /scripts/local-top ... Volume group "ubuntu-vg" not found
  Cannot process volume group ubuntu-vg
done.
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: error opening /dev/md?*: No such file or directory
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
mdadm: No arrays found in config file or automatically
done.
Gave up waiting for root file system device. Common problems:
  - Boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
    - Check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enought?)
  - Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT!  /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-ubuntu--lv does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

BusyBox v1.30.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.30.1-7ubuntu3) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs)

In case it was of interest, at the time of the local disk mount, because it is Ubuntu with LVM2, I have made the following commands:
kpartx -a -v mini.img
vgscan
vgchange -ay
lvdisplay
mount /dev/ubuntu-vg/ubuntu-lv /mnt/ubuntu


text:
Юхим Іванович Пітюренко (*1928, Ганнівка) — доктор географічних наук, професор кафедри розміщення продуктивних сил Національного економічного університету.

Життєпис
Народився у жовтні 1928 року в селі Ганнівці на Дніпропетровщині в родині вчителя. У 1951 р. закінчив географічний факультет Дніпропетровського університету. Працював учителем, директором школи в Донецьку.

З 1960 року творчий і життєвий шлях Ю. І. Пітюренка пов'язаний з Києвом. Він працював у науково-дослідному і проектному інституті містобудування (1960—1961 рр.), викладав у Інституті народного господарства. Протягом 1963—1970 рр. Юхим Іванович працював у Раді по вивченню продуктивних сил України, а в 1971 р. разом з очолюваною ним проблемною групою з географії населення (з 1984 р. — відділ) перейшов до заново створеного Сектора географії при Інституті геофізики АН України, де впродовж 15 років успішно продовжував дослідження в галузі географії населення. В 1979 р. він захистив (у Ленінградському університеті) докторську дисертацію «Питання методології і методики дослідження регіональних систем міських поселень (на прикладі Української РСР)». Разом із науковою діяльністю Ю. І. Пітюренко викладав у Київському державному університеті (1975—1983 рр.). З 1985 р. Юхим Іванович — у Київському інституті народного господарства (тепер Національний економічний університет): до 1988 р. — декан факультету економіки праці та матеріально-технічного постачання, завідувач кафедрою економічної географії та економічної історії, з 1988 р. — професор кафедри розміщення продуктивних сил.

Науковий вклад

Результати наукової діяльності вченого викладені у численних наукових працях, серед яких кілька монографій: «Розвиток міст і міське розселення в Українській РСР» (1972 р.); «Територіальні системи міських поселень Української РСР (методологія і методика дослідження, аналіз сучасного становища, закономірності і перспективи розвитку)» (1977 р.); «Системи розселення і територіальна організація народного господарства» (1983 р.).

Він розробив типологію систем розселення і нові методи вивчення локальних, обласних та регіональних систем міських поселень, функціонально-системну типологію міст, визначив закономірності і поглибив концепцію взаємопов'язаного розвитку територіальних систем розселення та виробництва.

При значних досягненнях у теоретичній розробці наукових положень географії населення не можна не відзначити, що Юхим Іванович — невтомний організатор польових досліджень розселення, анкетних обстежень поселень. Виконані під його керівництвом прикладні дослідження з географії населення, конкретні рекомендації щодо розвитку малих і середніх міст, промислових, курортних і сільськогосподарських районів тощо широко використовувались у діяльності державних установ. Ю. І. Пітюренко успішно поєднував наукові дослідження з викладацькою діяльністю, з великою науково-організаторською роботою. Він був членом двох спеціалізованих рад по захисту докторських і кандидатських дисертацій, членом редколегії міжвідомчого наукового збірника «Економічна і соціальна географія».

Джерела
 Пітюренко Юхим Іванович

Українські географи
Випускники Дніпровського університету
Науковці Київського національного економічного університету
Уродженці Ганнівки (Верхньодніпровський район)
доктори географічних наук України
українські професори

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Godbox är en EP av Breach, utgiven på det tyska skivbolaget Chrome Saint Magnus 2000.

Låtlista
 "Kill the Sun"
 "Hardly Longer Reality"
 "Leave"
 "Seconds Away"
 "Arranged Heart"

Referenser

EP-skivor 2000
Album av Breach


text:
Portraits Help Children See Themselves Differently
Published on Nov 14, 2012 in CHOP News
November 14, 2012 — A group of artists, young people and medical experts are involved in a groundbreaking project at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that uses the intimate process of portrait painting to help children and young people with craniofacial problems see themselves in a different light.
For 13-year-old Emily, whose life has been filled with reconstructive surgeries and long stretches away from home, it was a chance "to be me." For veteran painter Robin Frey, the program was a special chance to marry the technical aspects of her craft with a sense of spirituality.
Blending art and science to help patients
Face to Face: The Craniofacial Program Portrait Project, is an innovative collaboration between the Craniofacial Program at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Studio Incamminati, internationally renowned portrait artist Nelson Shanks' realist art school. Face to Face is the first of its kind in the U.S. The program assesses the experiences of children and adolescents with craniofacial problems by using a novel intervention — sitting for a portrait. It also scientifically documents the impact of the psychosocial functioning of the participants.
Eight portraits of patients ranging from age 7 to 25 have been completed and plans call for Face to Face to be a continuing project. In addition to adding to the scientific body of knowledge, the paintings will be exhibited publicly in Children's Hospital Colket Translational Research Building as part of the effort to highlight the challenges and strengths associated with living with a facial disfigurement.
Project collaborators
CHOP doctors
Linton A. Whitaker, MD, senior surgeon at Children's Hospital, professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and director of the school's Edwin and Fannie Gray Hall Center for Human Appearance; Scott P. Bartlett, MD, chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and David B. Sarwer, PhD, associate professor of psychology in the departments of Psychology and Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, helped conceive and implement the project.
Studio Incamminati artists
The artists are Stephen Early, Robin Dawn Frey and Kerry Dunn, instructors at Center City realist art academy Studio Incamminati, and Studio alumnus Debbie Schafer. They were chosen in 2007 after careful screening by Canice E. Crerand, PhD, former psychologist with the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at CHOP.
"This proves the transformative power of art," said Jay Pennie, executive director of Studio Incamminati. "It reminds us that, beyond our enjoyment of the finished painting, the very act of creating art can have a profound effect on those involved."
One of the artists, Steve Early added, "I wanted to put the facial differences in the context of the whole person … to catch the spirit and beauty of this child, the hope and energy in her eyes."
Funding for the project
The project was funded by a grant from The Edwin and Fannie Gray Hall Center for Human Appearance.
Learn more about the Face to Face Portrait Project.
Ashley Moore, Department of Public Relations, 267-426-6071
Craniofacial Program Home
Face-to-Face Portrait Project


What can I give to you my lovely lady? A Rose?...But,what color is your favorite?
There is no rose that can match your beauty my sweetheart! And you are what makes my love for you bloom more and more each and every day!
And although there are so many miles between us...at least we have this place where we can be together.
Here we can come and visit each other whenever we want...and no distance can stand between us!
And when you do visit this page,my love...please put me in that special place in your heart...think of me often...and remember,I'm only an email away!!


The event is open to students across Primary and Secondary and also includes winning projects from the 6th and 7th grade Science Fair. Special guests including schools and organisations around the country also attend as part of the STEAM Fest community outreach initiative.
This year schools from as far away as Morazan and La Union are taking part along with schools from Santa Tecla and San Salvador.
The festivities kicked off at 7:30 this morning and ran until 12:20 pm. An innovative go-kart project was introduced this year. At 10:30 the access ramp next to the large pool was closed off and the races began.
The entire STEAM Fest event was streamed live on the ABC Facebook page.
If you were unable to catch the live streams you can also them from the Facebook page.
Crew set up the Auditorium with the help of our wonderful maintenance people.
Click here to view all the media from the event.


UCLA scientists have received seven of 72 seed grants awarded by the state to fund stem cell research, the first money distributed for work on human embryonic stem cells since California voters approved Proposition 71 in November 2004. Seed grant funding totaled $45 million.
The seven UCLA grants, awarded Feb. 16, total more than $4 million over two years. More than half of the applications submitted by UCLA scientists were approved for funding. In all, scientists affiliated with the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA (ISCBM) applied for 11 seed grants.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state organization overseeing Proposition 71 funding, received 231 applications for seed grants totaling $138.3 million from scientists at 36 nonprofit institutions across the state.
Dr. Owen Witte, a renowned scientist and director of the ISCBM, said he is pleased that so many UCLA scientists secured state funding for their research projects.
"This is a testament to the leading-edge research being proposed by UCLA stem cell scientists, who rank among the very best in their field," Witte said. "UCLA's highly collaborative atmosphere allowed our scientists to develop innovative interdisciplinary research projects that bring expertise from all areas of the campus to bear on this important scientific endeavor."
· Principal investigator Irvin Chen: $642,652. Genetic modification of the human genome to resist HIV-1 infection and/or disease progression.
· Principal investigator Zoran Galic: $642,501. Genetic enhancement of the immune response to melanoma via human embryonic stem cell-derived T-cells.
· Principal investigator Siavash Kurdistani and co-investigator Hanna Mikkola: $641,047. Cellular epigenetic heterogeneity as a blueprint for the identity and function of human embryonic stem cells.
· Principal investigator Michael Teitell and co-investigator Utpal Banerjee: $635,024. Role of mitochondria in self-renewal versus differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.
· Principal investigator Hanna Mikkola and co-investigators Owen Witte and Ken Dorshkind: $577,037. Improving microenvironments to promote hematopoietic stem cell development from human embryonic stem cells.
· Principal investigator William Lowry: $571,575. Modeling human embryonic development with human embryonic stem cells.
· Principal investigator Nori Kasahara: $469,219. Down-regulation of alloreactive immune responses to human embryonic stem cell-derived graft tissues.
"We feel fortunate to have been selected to receive one of seven seed grants awarded to UCLA," said grant recipient Teitell, a stem cell researcher and associate professor of pediatrics, and pathology and laboratory medicine. "This support will help us determine how stem cells manage their energy resources during self-renewal and differentiation and may also provide important insight for selecting the highest quality stem cells for future therapeutic development."
Seed grants are intended to bring new ideas and new investigators into human embryonic stem cell research, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine officials said, and offer opportunities for investigators to conduct studies that may yield preliminary data or proof-of-principle results that could then be expanded into full-scale investigations. The grants were reviewed by a committee of scientific experts from outside California and patient advocates from the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the Institute for Regenerative Medicine's governing board. The oversight committee approved the grants Friday during its meeting in the San Francisco Bay area.
To learn more about the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at, visit http://www.stemcell.ucla.edu.


NASA's Mars rover 'Curiosity' will today begin its search for intelligent life capable of understanding a Facebook post and commenting in a coherent manner.
The ambitious mission began as the rover landed at 6:30 GMT this morning, and is set to last two years as the device scours the surface of the red planet for life forms that put their brains in gear before hitting a keyboard.
Facebook users of average intelligence have welcomed the move, claiming the quality of discourse on the social networking site has taken a noticeable dip since the rise in popularity of games like Farmville.
"I'd be quite happy befriending an extra-terrestrial, if they find one," said Facebook user Simon Williams.


text:
Alexandria enters tricky waters with affordable housing financing deal
Samuel Madden redevelopment rendering (image via Torti Gallas + Partners/City of Alexandria)
There's nothing unusual in Alexandria financing an affordable housing project, but one specific request from the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) could set a notable precedent.
The Samuel Madden redevelopment would replace the 66 affordable housing units with a new mixed-use development featuring around 530 units. Two-thirds of those units would be available at various levels of affordability, while the other third would be available at "market rate" –rents without any affordability baked in.
In a report to the City Council from the ARHA redevelopment committee, Mayor Justin Wilson said plans for the Samuel Madden redevelopment project include a request for a tax exemption on the property. While ARHA properties are generally tax-exempt, this project is in partnership with private developers Mill Creek Residential and The Communities Group.
"ARHA properties owned by ARHA are tax exempt, those are off the tax rolls, but when they do a redevelopment that involves a private entity, those projects would go on the tax rolls," Wilson said. "All the affordable housing projects that exist in the city that are owned by nonprofits do pay taxes. In this case, ARHA is partnering with a private entity, so the ownership structure is a little bit complicated."
Wilson said that while the city is supportive of the redevelopment project and could contribute additional funding, a tax exemption might open the door for other private affordable housing developers to ask to have their projects taken off the tax rolls.
"Depending on how we sort through that, may or may not be creating a precedent that will have other affordable housing developers and nonprofits come forward and request similar disposition," Wilson said. "So we need to be thoughtful and careful in how we approach that decision."
The tax exemption is just one of the financial questions around the redevelopment.
Wilson said the question facing the City Council is whether to loan the money or offer it as a grant. Traditionally, Alexandria loans funding to ARHA, which eventually pays it back to the city with a revolving fund that then goes to fund future affordable housing loans.
"As with any project right now, ARHA is seeing increases in costs," Wilson said. "The request that we have received and that staff is working on relates to relief for a couple different aspects — some of it is development fees, some of it is questions around whether we are extending a loan or extending grants to support it. ARHA had initially not intended to request city financing, I think they have had to change that approach and they are requesting financial assistance to keep the project viable."
affordable housing ARHA City Council city government
Poll: How important is affordable housing investment to you?Live Alexandria: Made in ALX